Five Days
by iheartcoco
Summary: James Potter reflects on moments from the final five days of his life as Voldemort's curse hurtles towards him. Contains swearing and mild adult themes.
1. Prologue

James Potter stared in to the red, vertically slit eyes. He had anticipated this moment for so long. The red eyes stared back and the long, thin mouth curled in to a cruel smile. James could hear his own frantic heartbeat drumming fiercely in his ears, blocking out everything else so he felt as if he were drowning in a vast body of water. The slim, pale hand raised in to the air, its slender fingers wrapped around a wand. James realised a split second too late that his own wand was abandoned on the sofa.

The mouth muttered two carefully selected words, and before James could feel the impact of the spell his mind was racing as scenes from the past five days flipped like a film reel through his mind, falling in to sync with the rhythm of his heart beats.

_Lily laughing as he pulled her back under the covers... Harry looking up to beam a one toothed smile at the Marauders as they walked with him through the park... Peter's troubled expression the last time he had walked from the house... Remus's haunted eyes as he passed on comforting words... Sirius smiling cheerfully, then suddenly lunging forwards to strike him... Lily sobbing as she held Harry to her chest..._

"Avada kedavra!"

James heard the yell seemingly hours after it had passed the lips. A stunning green light illuminated the room and the house shook like a volcano had erupted, and then James Potter was dead.

The last thing he heard was the cold, manic laughter as it swept from the room.


	2. Five

****

Monday, October 26th 1981

James awoke that drizzly morning to the feeling of a thousand tiny kisses being planted upon his face. The corners of his mouth twitched in to a smile as he cracked open an eye to see Lily hanging above him, the tips of her dark red hair brushing his cheeks. She grinned at him and through his blurred vision he could see her emerald green eyes sparkling like gems. James began to reach for his glasses but Lily already had them held in her hand. She slipped them on for him, depositing another kiss on the tip of his nose.

James grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her towards him. Lily giggled. "You're in a good mood this morning," She remarked.

"You should wake me up like that more often," James muttered.

"Harry's still fast asleep," Lily mumbled against James's ear, running her fingers down the side of his neck.

James sighed. "And I have to work," He said. He sat up and Lily frowned.

"That's not very fair at all," She said. James wrapped his arms around her waist, determined not to let go just yet.

"I'll make it up to you later," He promised.

"You had better," Lily smiled. She brushed away James's hands and hopped on to the floor. A wail suddenly sounded from down the hall. They both sighed.

"Looks like we wouldn't have gotten very far, anyway," James said.

Lily pushed her hair back from her face and went off down the hall. Moments later she returned, holding in her arms a very grumpy looking one year old who's black hair stood up in tufts. She attempted to smooth them down. "He gets more like you every day," She said.

Lily sat and entertained Harry on the bed whilst James pottered around the room, dressing for work. He slipped on his cloak and stopped by the door. "What are you two going to do today?" He asked.

"Never mind us, go. The Order will be waiting," Lily said. James smiled at her and she smiled back. Then he walked away and her smiled faltered. She wished that she could shift the queasy feeling of foreboding that seemed to follow her constantly these days.


	3. Four

****

Tuesday, October 27th 1981

Lily had a headache so James offered to take their newly boisterous son out for a while. He called upon his three closest friends, it would be good for them all to get together for a few hours, it had been so long. They all met at the park a few minutes away from James's house. Sirius asked to push Harry in his pram, and James agreed. Sirius adored his Godson.

"Hey, watch this!" He said suddenly. He tightened his grip on the handles of the pram and ran forwards. The pram flew at the speed of light, jostling and bumping, sending flurries of stray stones spraying from the path. Harry chuckled raucously.

James laughed too. "He's always been off his rocker, our Pads," He said fondly.

"You're a bit quiet, Wormtail. Anything wrong?" Remus questioned, eyeing his small friend with concerned amber eyes.

Peter smiled, but it didn't look very convincing. "Oh I'm fine, Moony. Thanks for asking," He said briskly. He continued walking with his hands shoved in his pockets, staring down at the ground.

"I think we should all go out for a drink somewhere on Halloween night," James suggested.

Upon hearing the mention of going out for a drink with his uncannily bat like ears, Sirius abruptly stopped running and allowed his friends to catch up with his. "That's the best idea I've heard all day," He said with a grin.

Remus however frowned. "I don't know, Prongs. Don't you think it's a little dangerous?" He said, "It was quite a risk even coming out here today."

James scowled. "I'm sick of sitting in like a fucking good little boy," He snapped.

"Hey, ssh, if Harry comes home swearing like a sailor Lily will chop your balls off," Sirius said, he turned to Remus and Peter, "Do you mind if I just speak to James for a second?"

"Sure," Remus said easily. He took the pram and began wheeling Harry away. Peter turned to look at James and Sirius, as if reluctant to leave them, but Sirius shook his head. Once Peter had disappeared he spoke.

"I don't think I should be your Secret Keeper, anymore," He said.

"What? What the fuck are you talking about, Pads. I wouldn't have anyone else," James snapped. He sounded harsh he knew, but he was suddenly in a very irritable mood. Sirius knew this and let it slide.

"_Exactly. _Everybody expects it to be me. Just hear me out, James," He said quietly, "Change it to Peter. We can throw the enemy off course that way."

"Peter?" James repeated blankly.

"Trust me. Just do it, you'll see," Sirius said with a glimmer of a smile.

He patted James on the back and then buried his hands deep in his pockets, going off after his other two friends.


	4. Three

****

Wednesday October 28th 1981

"Wormy!" Lily cried, a delighted smile appearing on her face as she stepped back from the doorway to allow her old school friend to walk through, "Long time, no see."

"How are you?" Peter asked. He seemed distracted somehow, something Lily chose to treat with caution.

"I'm fine," She said, closing the door against the October rain, "Are _you _alright, Peter? You seem bothered by something."

"I just have a lot on with the Order," Peter said with a shrug. He peered down the hall with his small, watery eyes. Those eyes had always unnerved Lily.

"James just took Harry out for a little walk in his pram, he's having trouble sleeping poor thing," Lily explained.

"If James is having trouble sleeping what will a walk with a pram do?" Peter asked.

If this would have came from Sirius then Lily would have understood it to be a joke, but this was coming from the mouth of Peter Pettigrew and Lily knew that he was being deadly serious. She laughed. "I meant the baby, Wormy, not James," She said, rubbing his arm as she walked towards the kitchen.

She made them both a cup of tea and they sat around the table. Lily stared at the ring marks and stains, making a mental note to scrub them down later. Peter stared at the clock, waiting for James to arrive home. Neither of them really knew what to say to each other. When James finally did come, he came creeping in to the kitchen quietly, a finger pressed to his lips to signal that Harry was finally asleep. The he caught sight of Peter sat at the table and was instantly thrown in to panic.

"What is it? What's happened?" He demanded to know.

"Wormy just wanted to speak to you, sweetheart," Lily explained soothingly.

"Actually, it doesn't matter now. I forgot what I came for," Peter mumbled.

Lily and James stared at him. "Right..." James said slowly, calming down, "We usually have dinner in about half an hour, why don't you stay for that? Its been a while since you stayed."

"No thanks," Peter said, getting to his feet rather quickly, "I'll just go."

He left without another word, tripping in the hall in his haste to get out of the house quickly. He knocked in to a picture frame, making it fall with a clatter to the floor. Harry promptly woke with a long wail. Lily and James exchanged worried glances.


	5. Two

****

Thursday, October 29th 1981

There was a loud pop and Remus Lupin appeared suddenly in the middle of the Potter's living room. James and Lily, however, were unperturbed. They had been expecting him. "You wanted to see me, Prongs?" Remus asked. He removed his shabby cloak and flopped in to the empty arm chair placed across from the sofa.

He noticed that they both looked a little nervous. "The other day, at the park, Sirius asked me to change our Secret Keeper. Did he mention anything to you?" James asked. Remus frowned.

"No, he never said anything to me," He said, "Why did he ask you to change? Who is it now?"

"Peter," James muttered, and Remus noticed that he didn't look very happy about this, "Sirius insisted that it be him. I just don't know why. He said something about throwing the enemy off course but..."

"We think that Sirius might be the traitor," Lily cut in quickly. She looked suddenly as if she was in great pain. Remus gasped.

"No we don't!" James cried, "Well, fine, we considered it. But it simply can't be. Sirius would never do that to us."

"It could be anyone, James," Remus said grimly, "It could even be me."

A long, tense silence followed. Lily laughed to break it. "Don't be ridiculous, Moons. We know it isn't you," She said. Her voice sounded a little hysterical.

James suddenly punched the arm of the sofa. He buried his face in his hands. "I can't take this anymore. I can't take not knowing who to trust!" He moaned.

"Everything will become very clear soon, Prongs," Remus said softly. He stood up and walked over to the sofa, crouching beside his old friend and wrapping a hand around one of James's consolingly. "Everything will be fine in the end," He said. But his troubled eyes didn't quiet meet when he said it.


	6. One

****

Friday, October 30th 1981

Neither of them could even remember what had started the argument off. One minute James and Sirius had been sat side by side on the sofa, sipping glasses of brandy and laughing, the next the brandy glasses were rolling across the floor and they were both on their feet, wands pressed against each others throats.

"Stop it!" Lily screamed, but they ignored her.

"You treacherous bastard," Sirius snarled.

"_I'm_the treacherous one?" James shouted, twisting his wand deeper in to Sirius's flesh so that it was stuck there uncomfortably tight.

"You're a wanker Prongs, you know that?" Sirius spat.

"I bet it is you who's been selling us to the Dark Lord!" James said, his voice deadly quiet, "You are a Black, after all."

"James no!" Lily gasped, but the damage was done.

Sirius dropped his wand to the floor - which Lily was thankful for, they all knew that Sirius was far more capable of causing more damage with a wand - and threw himself at James. They crash landed on to the sofa then quickly rolled off, so that it was James who was now sat on top of Sirius. Furiously they gripped each other, tossing and turning, desperately trying to throw a well aimed punch. Lily ran upstairs to fetch her wand. When she returned she pointed it at them, telling herself she was doing the right thing when she blasted them apart. Sirius was launched across the room by the spell, slamming in to the wall. A thin steam of blood trickled down from the side of his head. Both men sat panting at each other, staring with eyes full of hatred.

"If we start fighting amongst our selves then we're all doomed!" Lily screamed.

The two men sighed. "I'm sorry, Pads. You're right, I am a wanker. And you're nothing like your family," James muttered finally.

"You aren't a wanker, mate," Sirius said, standing up, "Ow, shit. That hurts." He muttered, running a hand over the gash in the side of his head.

"Sorry about that," Lily said meekly, "But I had to get you off each other."

"Want me to help you clean it up?" James offered.

"I'll just go to the bathroom and splash some water on it. You can pour us another brandy if you want, though," Sirius said.

They both smiled shakily at each other. Lily inwardly sighed in relief. The tension that hung above them like an omnipresent rain cloud was starting to seep through the cracks of everything these days. The sooner they were properly safe, the better.


	7. Avada Kedavra

****

Saturday, October 31st 1981

It started off as a normal day, but if the Potters had knew what was to happen by the end of it they would have done everything in their power to make it an extraordinary day, one they wouldn't regret living as their last.

James went off to work for the Order and Lily stayed at home with Harry all morning, sitting down on the carpet to play with his building blocks and then giving him a bath somewhere around midday. When he was dressed she took him for a walk to get some chocolate from the shop and then they went on to feed the ducks in the nearby park. When they got back to wrote a letter to an old school friend to assure her that they were all still safe. There was nothing in the Potter's day to make them believe that everything they feared was about to collide with their lives like a car crash.

The Trick Or Treaters came calling after six. James and Lily took it in turns to greet them with sweets at the door. They had feared that Harry would be frightened by the costumes but he seemed to find them funny and nothing to be alarmed by. At eight o'clock they locked the door and settled down on the sofa, exhausted from their day of doing nothing out of the ordinary.

Lily curled herself around James, Harry settled in her lap, and smiled up at him. "I love you, Mr Potter," She muttered.

"I love you too, Lil," James said, leaning down to kiss her.

She sighed. "I wish it could be this way all of the time," She said, a single tear sliding down her cheek, "Right now I feel safe, but I know that when I wake up in the morning I'll have to feel scared all over again."

It pained James to hear these words. He gently pushed away Lily's tear with his thumb. He couldn't even find the words to assure her anymore, and this frightened him more than anything.


	8. Epilogue

"Let me take Harry, I am his Godfather after all!" Sirius snapped. He clutched his wailing Godson closer to his chest. The giant in front of him gave a heavy sigh, emitting such a strong gust of air that Sirius felt his dark hair ripple slightly.

"I keep telling yeh, Sirius, I've got ter take Harry ter Dumbeldore!" Hagrid said.

"But I can't let you take him to that awful Muggle family!" Sirius cried, his voice breathless with exasperation, "Lily tried to visit just the other month and they slammed the door in her face. Harry doesn't belong there, he belongs _here,_ in our world."

"I know that, Sirius," Hagrid said quietly, "I'd like ter keep young Harry with us too, but its Dumbledore's orders..."

"_Fine_," Sirius hissed. He passed Harry carefully over to Hagrid, muttering about where Dumdledore could stick his orders. He turned and looked at the large motorbike by his side. "Take this to Surrey," He said, "If I'm going to let you take Harry then I might as well make sure he's going to arrive safely."

"I'm sorry, Sirius," Hagrid said as he climbed on to the motorbike, making it groan and sag considerably towards the floor, "I'm sure Dumbeldore will let yer come and take Harry soon."

Sirius turned around, he didn't think he could bear to watch as Hagrid flew away, taking with him the only connection to James and Lily Potter there was left in his world. He heard the motorbike engine roar in to life and creaks as Hagrid naviagted it up in to the air, then there was a loud bang and the air rushed behind him.

When Sirius next turned both Hagrid and Harry, along with the motorbike, had gone.


	9. Playlist

**I'm not sure what really shaped the playlist for this fic, I suppose it's just what I listened to or thought of as I wrote.**

_Prologue _- Closer by Kings Of Leon

_Five_ - Whatever You Like by Anya Marina (T.I. cover)

_Four _- Winter by Joshua Radin (Acoustic version)

_Three _- Naive by The Kooks

_Two_ - Howl by Florence + The Machine

_One _- I honestly couldn't think of one, suggestions welcome.

_Avada Kedavra _- Perfect Day by Lou Reed

_Epilogue_ - Going In For The Kill by La Roux (Skreams dubstep remix)


End file.
